The Key Under the Rock
by Mana6
Summary: Swallowing thickly, she pushed the door open and slipped inside, closing the door behind, closing the world away." Updated: Rating change.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Key Under the Rock  
Author: Mana  
Rating: PG/ K  
Disclaimer: Trust me, if Bones was mine, what happened would not have happened. FOX and Mr. H owns it.  
Pairing: B/B sorta…  
Spoilers: Wannabe in the Weeds and Pain in the Heart  
Authors Notes: Please let me know what you think!

The Key Under the Rock  
By Mana

She hadn't cried, hadn't felt like she could. Angela, Cam, Zach, even Hodgins had all cried when the doctor had given them the news.

'We lost him,' the doctor had said. 'He just wasn't strong enough to hold on.'

The ground beneath her feet had felt like sand then, shifting, careening her off balance. She felt heavy as she sank into the vinyl chair, the fabric squeaking loudly. Around her, her friends turned to each other, sobbing and holding onto each other in grief.

She sat.

Alone.

After what seemed like a minute, and yet an hour at the same, Angela gathered her up into her arms. "Let me take you home Sweetie."

Brennan still hadn't spoken, hadn't moved, hadn't blinked. Vaguely, she remembers nodding and letting Angela guide her out the door and to her car. Finally, they pulled up to her apartment, Hodgins and Angela vowing to return to take her to pick up her car in the morning. She didn't care.

Now, here she was, sitting alone in her apartment, staring blankly at the floor beneath her feet. Minutes passed like hours, hours passed like days, and yet, she sat. Blood still stained her hands, his blood. She didn't want to rinse it away, but knew inevitably that she would. However the last vestiges of him, his essence, clung to her, and she was reluctant to let it go.

She stood, grabbing her keys, and walking out her front door. When she reached the street, she hailed a taxi and got in. Surprising herself, she told the cabbie where to go: Booth's.

The cab pulled up to the white building and she shoved a wad of bills into the driver's hand. Seeing his large grin, she figured she must have paid him more than adequately, but it barely registered. She walked up the steps to his door, suddenly realizing she had no way of getting in.

Did she want to go in?

Why?

What had led her here?

Sitting down on the cold stone stairs outside of his building, she looked down at the ground. Trash littered the platform: candy bar wrappers, old newspaper, cigarettes. Beside her a row of small stones framed the edge, each small and light colored. Except for one. One was larger, and black. Its craggy features standing in stark contrast to the smooth stones flanking it. She reached over and picked it up, curious to get a closer look. As she lifted it, a shimmer caught her gaze, and she noticed the key laying underneath the rock. Setting the rock down, she brought the key up to meet her stare.

It was Booth's key, she was sure of it.

She stood quickly, dropping the rock back in its place, and thrust the key into the keyhole. It slipped in and turned, the door welcoming her in. Swallowing thickly, she pushed the door open and slipped inside, closing the door behind, closing the world away.

Instantly, she was inundated with Booth. She stood for a moment, just breathing in his scent. Her eyes slipped shut, and she bit her lip, feeling the threat of blood in her mouth.

Opening her eyes, she looked around the dark apartment. It was the same as it had always been. His suit jacket was haphazardly thrown over the back of the chair. A small light in the kitchen was on above the sink, the soft humming from the bulb the only sound in the room other than her ragged breathing.

Making her way through the living room, she followed the short hallway to where she knew his bedroom was. Pushing open the door, she stepped across the threshold. His sheets were rumpled from the last time he'd lain in them. Had he been alone? Had he fantasized about anyone? When had he last changed the sheets? She didn't know where the questions came from, but she regretted the fact that she would never know the answer.

Picking up his tie that was laying on the edge of the bed, she ran the silken material through her fingers, letting her eyes fall shut. Biting the inside of her cheek, she walked over to the bed. Slipping off her shoes, she sat, pushing her legs up under the sheets. She reclined until she was lying fully on his bed. Pulling the covers up over her, she was cocooned in his scent, in him.

Presently, the tears began to fall.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Alright guys, after getting some really sweet emails and reviews requesting a continuation of this story, I dedicate this to you!  
For everyone that has been emailing me about The Couple from the Burbs, real life has gotten in the way of that story, but hopefully it will settle down a bit more and I'll be able to get the rest of the story up. I'm glad that you guys like it so much to continue to ask for it. It really makes a writer feel good to know her stories are being read and wanted. **__****__** Feel free to continue emailing me and keeping me reminded! **_

_**Rating changed to T. **_

2 weeks later…

The water in the tub splashed lightly against his stomach as he sat forward, taking a sip from the straw hanging down from his hat.

Dammit, the beer had gone warm.

The hollow sound of the water circling down the drain permeated the room. There was no use trying to relax anymore. Not after Bones had barged in, ruining his moment, and his phone call with Cam. His bath was ruined. The world was conspiring against him. What happened to the days when a man could take a bath in his own home uninterrupted, huh?

Sighing, he raised himself out of the tepid water, running his hands down his abdomen, brushing the water off. He reached over and grabbed his towel and dried himself off. Slinging it around his neck, he pushed the door open and stepped into the living room. Looking up he jumped slightly.

"Jesus Bones," he cried. "I thought you left."

She didn't respond, just kept looking at her hands folded in her lap. She looked so small sitting on his sofa. So young. Feeling that perhaps this was a time for "puritan modesty" he shrugged the towel from around his neck and looped in around his waist, tucking the top edge in so it stayed put.

"Bones," his voice softened as he made his way over to her. Finally she looked up and he saw the unshed tears glimmering in her eyes.

"Hey," he whispered sitting down next to her. "What's wrong?"

She stared at him for a moment, then her eyes flickered over his shoulder and into his bedroom until they rested on his bed.  


"I came here, you know," her voice was so soft, he barely made out what she'd said. He didn't know how to respond to that, so he didn't say anything.

"The night they told me you died, I cam here." She looked back down at her hands. "I didn't know where else to go."

He stared at her for a moment, unsure at what to say. He looked over his shoulder at his unmade bed. Had she slept in it? Why?

"That's when I found the key," she continued, oblivious to his wondering thoughts. "I let myself in and I stayed the night. I slept in your bed."

She looked up at him again, a lone tear trying to break free from her lashes.

"I know it's completely irrational, but I needed to feel close to something of yours." The tear finally fell.

Instinctively, he reached up and caught it between his thumb and her cheek, feeling the slick moisture, a thin barrier between them.

Still, he wasn't sure of what to say, so he said the first thing that came to mind, "I'm sorry."

Shaking her head, she moved away from his touch. "I thought you were dead, Booth." Her voice was firm now and he saw the spark of her anger reappear. She stood, pacing in front of him.

"I know and I know that couldn't have been easy," he stated. "Believe me, I wanted you to know I never wanted you to know. I never wanted you to think I'd left you."

Brennan stopped pacing then, standing directly in front of him. "I thought you had."

Booth stood now, his eyes heavy against hers. He reached up and lifted her chin slightly, forcing her to really look at him and she saw the remorse and sincerity swimming in them.

"If I ever leave you, it will not be of my own free will." He sighed. "I wanted to tell you Bones, but I wasn't able to. After I got shot the FBI figured that would be the best thing for us to get this guy. I needed to fake my death. This guy vowed that the only time we'd ever see him again would be at my funeral. I didn't get a chance to tell you personally, otherwise believe me, I would have. The best solution I saw was giving the FBI my list of contacts." He paused for a moment, their eyes locked. "You were number one, Bones. They were supposed to tell you. When I find out who dropped the ball, him and I are going to have a nice long chat."

She continued staring at him, her eyes glistening, tears falling freely. Silence stretched between them, only their mingled breathing.

Slowly, she stood on her toes and leaned in pressing her lips to the corner of his mouth on his. At the first feeling of the feather light pressure, he turned his head, his lips finding hers. She gasped against his mouth, startled for a moment before yielding to the unrelenting urge to kiss him back. She deepened 

the kiss, her tongue reaching out to trace his lower lip. He groaned against her, opening his mouth to let her tongue dance along his.

He shifted, running his hands lightly along her sides, up her ribcage, stopping when his hands lightly rested against the sides of her breasts.

She stepped into him then, wrapping her arms around his neck. She squirmed against him, signed as she felt his attraction pushing against her stomach, the towel bulging.

He broke away from the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers. His mind was racing. How far was she wanting to take this? Feeling her hand brush against him through the towel, he realized he had his answer. Reaching down, his stopped her wandering hand. Raising it to his lips, he pressed a gentle kiss to her palm. She shuddered and her eyes fell closed. Still holding her hand, he turned and pulled her down the short hallway to his bedroom.

As the towel dropped to the floor with a soft thud, one thought danced between them. Tonight she wouldn't be sleeping in his bed alone.

The end…for real 

_**Please review! **_


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